Valve-reversing gear



(No Model.)

J. M. SAIL-ER. VALVE REVERSING GEAR.

No. 251,643. Patented Dec. 27,1881.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

N, PEI'ERS. Mo-lhhagmphr. Wanhingion. D, C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. SAILER, OF IONIA, MICHIGAN.

VALVE-REVERSING GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,643, dated December 2'7, 1881.'

v Application filed June 2,1881. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be. it known that I, JOHN M. SAILER, of

Ioni-a,Io1 1ia county, State of Michigan, have inventeda new and Improved Valve-Revers ing Gear for Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to more easily and readily regulate the lead of the valve during the stroke of the engine and to reverse the motion of the engine when desired.

The invention consists of a novel eccentric adjusting-cam in combination with the valverod eccentric, which latter -is loosely fitted on the engine-crank, all of which will be hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 is a partly-sectional longitudinal elevation of the device, with parts broken away to exhibit other parts. Fig.2 is an end eleva-' tion of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. 4

In the drawings, A represents the crankshaft, and B the valve-rod eccentric, fitted loosely thereon and restrained from end play by a collar, 0, held on said shaft A by setscrews '0. a. Encirclin g said crank-shaft A, and with its plane end in contact with the collar 0, on the opposite side from the eccentric B, is

'a clutch, D,having a "peripherally-projecting shank or.fingcr, D, to the extremity of which the eccentric B is secured by bolt and nut b.

The opposite end of this clutch D is furnished with spirally-cut jaws, D which interlock with like jaws, E of a sliding double clutch,.E, whose opposite jaws, E, have an opposite inclination, and interlock with like jaws, F, of a clutch, F, which latter is made fast on the shaft A by means of set-screws c. The edges of all the clutch-jaws are faced with packing-strips H, secured by screws d, or in some other convenient manner, to make tight joints and prevent loss of motion. The third clutch, F, is designed to be set as far from the first clutch, D, as is possible without becoming disconnected therefrom, and being.

fastened to the shaft A turns with it, and ther'eby causes the clutches E D to turn, and also the eccentric B. If the center clutch, E, be moved by means of a shifting-bar or other device, which may. be applied to its annular groove f, so that its jaws, Etraverse the spaces between the jaws F and clutch F, it must turn around on the shaft A, because of the contact of its jaw-edges with the edges of the jaws F, and at the same time thejaws E of the central clutch, E, must turn in the op posite direction, and thereby turn the clutch D, which transmits the movement to the eccentric B. Now as the extent of revolution of the eccentric 13 required to produce a reverse motion of the engine is nearly onehalf, it follows that by giving each clutch E D one-fourth of a revolution the eccentric B will be turned half-way around upon the shaft A. Thus by sliding the clutch Efrom one end to the other of its range a forward or backward motion of the engine may be obtained and as the eccentric always travels ahead of the. crank itwill operate in the contrary direction. From this it will be seen that if the eccentric B is turned only a little it will move the valve a little earlier in the stroke, and thus give the engine more lead. This is quickly done by sliding the clutch E a little nearer the eccentric B, or farther from it, ac cording to which way the crank A is turniu g, thus placing the set of the eccentric B under the absolute control of the engineer.

This device is more simple in construction and less liable to get out of order than the orto give the engine the proper lead, thus mak-' ing it possible to obtain the best effect from the steam, and thereby to economize fuel.

The device can'readily be applied to the valves of any ordinary engine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An improved valve-reversing gear, con structed substantially as herein shown and described, consisting of loose eccentric B and rotating inclined jawed clutch D attached thereto, sliding and rotating inclined jawed clutch E, and fixed inclined jawed clutch F, as set forth.

2. In a valve-reversing gear, the combination, with the reversing-clutches, of a loose valve-rod eccentric, substantially as. herein shown and described.

JOHN MILLARD SAILER. 

